Stupid pancake holster question. Simple yet complex

The only drawback I can think of having the belt on the outside of a holster is that it may give you too much retention. It may slow down draw speeds, or just be extremely difficult to draw. It really depends on how tight it is, I guess.

If it's working for you, and retention isn't overly tight, I say stick with it, though.

I wear it with the belt behind the holster. I lace the belt through a slot, behind a belt loop, then through the second slot.

Although I have never tried one that way - If it works for you and your happy with it....Who are you trying to please???

Most of my holsters are pancakes, and I wear the belt behind the holster.

Typically, a pancake holster would be FBI canted and designed for wear behind the strong side hip and often have a third belt slot to allow wear in the cross draw position. Most 2:00 or appendix carry holsters would be small profile models such as a wrap around style to allow them to more easily fit between your hip and your fly. Additionally, most appendix holsters would be straight drop or muzzle forward rather than muzzle rear or FBI cant as would be a typical pancake. The draw from an FBI canted holster in the appendix position may be difficult for many.

On the other hand, you can wear the holster any way you like and in whatever way works best for you. However, the concept of the pancake is that by threading the belt through the loops and behind the holster causes the outer panel to be pulled closer to the body and increasing retention. Running your belt on the outside probably accomplishes the same thing though.

Holster design from Horsershoe Leather
http://www.holsters.org/holster-design.htm

Mitch Rosen, and I'm sure others as well, makes a holster specifically designed for wear between the belt and your pants.

http://www.mitchrosen.com/product_line/product_line.html

I have a Wilderness Instructor belt and do run into the problem of extra velcro running up on where I want to wear my holster. I just move the buckle farther to my left side. It's difficult to do after spending many years in the military centering my "gig line", but it helps the holster/belt fit.

Wearing a IWB holster outside of the pants, but inside the belt is an old trick that's older then the Old Fuff, which some say means the pistol that was carried must have used percussion caps.

Anyway, it works fairly well with thin automatic pistols, and was sometimes favored by those that liked Colt's model 1903 pocket pistols or others like it.

CPE, now thats something I'm going to try, never even gave that option a thought. Thanks, another well thought out idea!

Ham,

It really holds everything securely if your loops are in the right spot, which they seem to be on the average guy's pants...Let me know how it works out for you.

For the belt outside the holster to work in the first place, the holster must be a true "pancake," i.e., the belt slots centered along the vertical plane and flat. Many OWB holsters are not of true pancake design and have the slots turned in toward the body side. Trying to thread a stiff gun belt through will be difficult if not impossible. If the holster is not of stiff construction (many have only the lip reinforced, if at all), a belt on the outside will try to collapse it.

I wear it with the belt behind the holster. I lace the belt through a slot, behind a belt loop, then through the second slot.

Click to expand...

I also run my pancakes this way. I find it makes things more secure and stable.

I understand running the belt on the outside to add tension, etc. Seems like it would work. My only concern is that on some holsters that tension may also cause the holster mouth and body to collapse after the weapon is drawn. That could make re-holstering more difficult. If you have to open up the holster mouth with your off hand, then you're almost certainly going to sweep that hand while you reholster. Not a good thing.

I wear all my holsters OWB, even the ones I make as IWB holsters. Nobody cares.

Anyway, the belt goes behind the holster, and if you loop a belt loop in between the slots it will be very secure. And yes, the slots should be parallel to each other for an FBI cant or appendix carry, they just get put in different slots depending on desired method of carry. I prefer to carry at 4, but 2 works also. It seems everyone wants to carry at 3, but 2 and 4 are far more comfortable.

I wear an Instructor belt also but I lace it through starting on my right side so the Velcro flaps over on the left when its buckled up. This way it doesn't interfere with any holster I wear on the right side. AIWB or anywhere right side OWB.